Beet-topping attachment for mowing-machines.



R. E. MURPHY.

BERT TOPPING ATTACHMENT r011 mowma MAUHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1909.

957,896. Patented May 17, 1910.

FIG. 5

FIG 8 fi .(7 I 4 27 45 5 r 1'5 WITNESSES: mmzzvroze.

Roy 5 Murphy ATTORNEY,

w :1 BY

ANDREW a GRAHAM co. FNOTO-UYNOGRAFNERS.WASHINGTON, 0.0.

i L T@E.

BOY E. MURPHY, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE MURPHY BEET TOPPER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFCOLORADO.

BEET-TOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR MOWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1'7, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY E. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Colorado Springs, county of El Paso and State of Colorado,have invented a new and useful Beet-Topping Attachment for Mowing-Maohines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in beet topping machines in which asickle is made to vibrate rapidly, transversely to the length of the rowof beets from the crank wrist and pitman of the mowing machine and iscarried on a frame adjustably attached to the side of the tongue of themowing machine, which frame is automatically adjusted vertically by aroller or gage wheel, so as to be moved up and down to adjust the sickleto the height of the beets, and has provided means for forcing the beettops against said oscillating sickle till they are cut 0E from the bodyof the beet tuber and then conveying them away so as to obviate thepossibility of clogging, and the objects of my invention are: First toprovide a machine for removing the tops from beets in the row in theground. Second, to

provide a means for the automatic adjustment of said machine to thebeets. Third, to attach said machine to a common mowing machine. Iattain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1, is an upright rear view of the mechanismsupported on cross arm 6. Fig. 2, is a perspective, on a larger scale,of a part of the under half of the boxing showing the bottom bushingplate 8. Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the beet topping attachmentshown connected with the front right side of a common mowing machinewith parts of the mowing machine removed. Fig. 4, is a perspective on alarger scale of one of the boxings 7, and 9, showing the race way 50.Fig. 5, is a top view of the beet topping attachment connected with thefront and right side of a common mowing machine. Fig. (3, is a rearelevation of the guide fingers 42, 43, connecting the rear end of thetongue, with the triangular frame 24. i Fig. 7, 1s a right sideelevation of the edge of the up right 17, on frame 26, of Fig. 8. Fig.8, is a rear elevation of the frame .26, which comprises the race bar 27the two angle arms 18,

18, the upright 15 and the upright 17. Fig. 9, is an inside elevation ofone of the angle arms 18, 18, of frame 26, of Fig. 8.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The cross arm 6, the two bars 1, 1, the triangular frame 24, 24, thegage wheel 2, the cleaning fingers 20, 20, the race bar 27, with theuprights 15, and 17, carrying the sickle blade 10, in combination withthe frame of a common mowing machine, constitute the principal parts ofmy beet topping attachment. The cross arm, 6, is herein shown rigidlyattached to the right side of the tongue of a right-cut mowing machinefrom which the sickle bar and its supports have been removed. This crossarm 6, is also con nected to the tongue by the stay bar 33. From theunder side of the cross arm 6, project downwardly the angle bracket arm39 and the angle arm 40. Through these two arms is passed the longboxing 36, which projects flush with the outer sides of the twobrackets. This long boxing 36, passes through the front end of each ofbars 1, 1. Through the long boxing 36, passes the shaft 30, to the rightend of which are attached rigidly the intermediate sprocket wheels 4,and 5. The shaft 30, turns in the 1011 boxing 36, and is provided nearits left en with the adjustable collar 37, and near its right end withthe adjustable collar 38.

The bars 1, 1, are attached rigidly at their rear end to the triangularframe 24, 24, and the flange bar 49, which makes a solid frame pivotedat its front end and connected at its rear end to the lifting lever 32,of the mowing machine proper, by means of the lifting pitman 13, and theconnecting pitman 12, connected to the lever arm 23, of lifting lever32.

On top of the bars 1, 1, and near their rear end are clamped the righthand boxing 7 and. the left hand boxing 9, respectively, in such amanner that they may be adjusted forwardly and backwardly as desired bymeans of the bolts 48, 48. In the boxings 7,

on top by means of the sprocket wheel 3, rigidly attached on the sameshaft 28, wlth gage wheel 2, and operated by means of sprocket wheel 3,which is actuated by intermediate wheel 4, which in turn has beenactuated by the small intermediate sprocket wheel 5, which is operatedby a sprocket chain '52, on drive sprocket 11.

On the convex surface of gage wheel 2, are the cleaning arms 19, 19,projecting a short distance from its surface and made to force theleaves and tops and other vegetation or debris, which may be in a row ofbeets or other vegetation, against the front edge of sickle blade 10,and also to force such beet tops or other debris, or vegetatlon backwardover the top of the sickle blade 10.

To prevent the beet tops or other debris from clogging on the cleaningarms 19, 19, and clinging around the gage wheel 2, there are providedthe cleaning fingers 20, 20, which rest at the front and press againstthe rear under side of the convex surface of the gage wheel 2, above thefront edge of the sickle blade 10, and between the sets of the cleaningarms 19, 19. These cleaning fingers 20, 20, are firmly attached to theflange bar 49, rigidly connecting the rear ends of bars 1, 1, where theyjoin the bars of the frame 24, 24.

The diagonal brace 31, connecting the two bars 1, 1, by means of boltsrigidly attached thereto, is to strengthen the frame and prevent it fromcareening. or bending backwardly from its true shape. The two elevatingfingers 21, 21, are rigidly attached to the sides of the bars 1, 1, bymeans of the clamps 53, 53, near the front end and are made adjustableby moving said clamps forward or backward or by sliding the fingers upor down as desired, for the purpose of more thoroughly gathering up theleaves, that are s raddled out from the row. The race bar 2 carrying thesickle blade 10, is operated transversely to the line of travel of themachine and across the row of beets by means of the coupling 34,attached to upright 17 being driven by the driving pitman 16, connectedto the wrist g of the mowing machine proper, which is attached to thefiy wheel f, rigidly attached to and turning with the pitman shaft (Z,of the mowing machine. The sickle blade 10, can be adjusted up or downto vary the distance between it and the gage wheel 2, by means of thelower slotted holes 45, 45, and the upper slotted holes 46, 46, in theangle arms 18, 18, of the race bar 27, and can be adjusted forward orbackward by sliding the boxings 7, and 9, forward or backward on thebars 1, 1.

To prevent the rear end of triangular frame 24, 24, from vibratingsidewise from the action of the driving pitman 16, there is provided thehorizontal bar 41, rigidly attached to the top of the tongue 6, near itsrear end and having at its right end the left guide finger 42, and theright guide finger 43, fitting on the left hand side and right handside, respectively, of the left triangular frame 24, which frame slidesfreely up and down in the aperture 44, between said guide fingers, 42,and 43.

In each of the boxings 7, and 9, are placed two bushing plates 8, 8,between which the race bar 27, slides. These bushing plates are providedto receive the friction and so that a comparatively tight race may bemaintained by bushing up between bushing plate 8, and the frame of theboxing, or by inserting a new bushing plate 8, as desired.

The sickle blade 10, is provided with serrated teeth or notches at itsfront edge and operates to cut the tops by being forced transversely tothe course of the machine at a rapid vibration and by being forcedforward by the motion of the machine.

a, and b, are drive wheels, and c, the axle, and e, the tongue of acommon mowing machine showing a right hand out with so much of themachine shown as to explain the manner of how the attachment isconnected to a mower of a right hand cut, but I reserve the right toconnect the attachment of a left hand cut as well.

The sickle blade 10, is constantly at the command of the operator of themowing machine to be raised or lowered by means of the lifting lever 32,while the machine is in operation, and can be raised up clear from theground in moving from place to place by the same means, and can be heldup by means of notched detent 14 shown in Fig. 3. The blade 10, is alsoadjusted up and down by means of gage wheel 2, riding on top of the rowof beets.

The sprocket wheels 4, and 5, are adjusted to the sprocket wheel 11, ondrive wheel I), by means of adjusting the adjustable collars 37, and 38,which are rigidly and adjustably attached to the shaft 30, by means ofset screws.

I claim:

1. In a beet topping attachment, the race bar 27 having angle arms 18,18, provided with slotted holes 45, and 46, having rigidly andadjustably attached thereto the upright angle bars 15, and 17, carryingat their lower extremity the sickle blade 10, substantially as set forthand for the purposes specified.

2. In a beet topping attachment of the class described, a serratedsickle blade rigidly attached at each end to upright angle bars 15, and17, near the tops of which are bolts attaching them adjustably to downextending angle arms 18, 18, of a race bar 27, all substantially as setforth and for the purposes specified.

3. In a beet topping machine of the class described, the race bar 27,having down projecting angle arms upon which is suspended the sickleblade 10, means for operating same from the driving gear of a mowingmachine, boxings carrying the said race bar 27, and supported on theadjustable frame 1, 1, substantially as set forth and for the purposesspecified.

4. In a beet topping attachment for mowing machines, the race bar 27,having the angle arms 18, 18, provided with the slotted holes 45, and46, for the adjustable and rigid attachment of the angle bars 15, and17, the angle bars 15 and 17 and having suitable means for vibratingsame from the gear mechanism of the mowing machine, in combination withthe sickle blade 10, substantially as set forth and as specified.

5. In a vegetable topping attachment for mowing machines, the race bar27, having the angle arms 18, 18, the angle arms 15, and 17 rigidlyattached thereon, the serrated sickle blade 10, with means for operatingsame, substantially as set forth.

6. In a beet topping attachment for mowing machines, the sickle frame26, consisting of the race bar 27, having the angle arms 18, 18, withupright 15, and upright 17, rigidly attached thereto, the serratedsickle blade 10, rigidly attached at both ends to the uprights 15, and17, with means for operating same by the pitman 16, substantially as setforth.

7. In a beet topping attachment for mowing machines, the race bar 27,the race way 50, 50, the boxings 7 and 9, each provided with bushingplates 8, 8, and adjustably and rigidly attached on the bars of a framepivotally attached to the side of the tongue of the machine, so as tohave a free, vertical motion, substantially as set forth.

8. The race bar 27, the uprights 15, and 17, the serrated sickle blade10, in combination with the gage wheel 2, provided, with chain gears torotate it forward on top, and with a frame connecting it directly withsaid race bar 27 substantially as set forth and for the purposespecified.

ROY E. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

FRED E. Mnrrono, PARIS HIATT.

